Pre-Conference Workshops

Location: Danderyd University Hospital

The day before the conference (August 21) there will be a number of workshops to attend. The workshops are either in the morning from 9:00 to 12:00, or from 13:30 to 16:30. The workshops are not included in the conference fee so you must register for them separately.

ADHD, or not: Addressing Clinical Dilemmas
09:00 – 12:00

Putative ADHD is one of the most likely reasons for referral in pediatric neuropsychology and a diagnosis of ADHD is a prevalent conclusion. Such referrals often raise more questions than answers about the etiology of the behavior of concern. It is essential to determine whether ADHD is the primary or secondary response, or masks an as yet undiagnosed neurological or psychiatric disorder. Without a single test measure that reliably identifies this behavioral diagnosis, history-taking, performance-based tests, and third party behavioral measures assume critical importance to avoid the adverse consequences for the child and family that will result from an erroneous diagnosis. This workshop will address the issues related to valid case formulation through case data that are sensitive to developmental issues. Emphasis will be placed on knowledge of typical brain development, parental perspectives, and academic influences, as well as the possibility of neurological disorder.

As opportunity to receive special services in the school increases the diagnosis prevalence increases in parallel. Also, as younger children were referred it became clear that understanding of normal individual variation was often not present and an unfortunate diagnostic label was applied that the child would carry as a label through the early school years. This presentation will briefly review diagnostic criteria, models of ADHD, assessment methods, developmental expectations.

Cases of when ADHD was accurately diagnosed and cases of when brain pathology was detected in the NP evaluation that better explains the value of pediatric neuropsychological assessment to avoid leaping to an unwarranted ADHD diagnosis will be presented.

Clinical Professor in Pediatrics
The George Washington University School of Medicine
Washington, DC

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Psychological Trauma: Clinical Considerations for Neuropsychologists
09:00 – 12:00This workshop will address assessment and treatment issues commonly confronted by neuropsychologists engaged in assessment and treatment of patients who have been exposed to psychological trauma and developed subsequent stress-related psychopathology. The workshop will review the full spectrum of stress-related emotional responses to psychological trauma, but will focus in particular on posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Topics covered will include: assessment of PTSD, neuropsychological consequences of PTSD and implications for differential diagnosis, overview of PTSD treatment options with an emphasis on psychosocial interventions, implications of neuropsychological compromise for psychosocial PTSD interventions, and cultural considerations. The workshop will incorporate research findings from the scientific literature, case examples, and presentation of select clinical tools.

Jennifer J. Vasterling, Ph.D.Professor of Psychiatry, Boston University School of MedicineChief of Psychology, Veterans Affairs Boston Healthcare SystemAffiliated Investigator, National Center for PTSD

Executive functions (EFs) help formulate goals, initiate goal-directed behavior, anticipate consequences, and organize, monitor, and adapt behaviour through top-down control of cognition, emotion, and motivation. These skills are affected in conditions such as traumatic brain injury, stroke, dementia, multiple sclerosis, and psychiatric disorders. Goal Management Training (GMT) is a standardized metacognitive rehabilitation program designed to improve EF. GMT contains approximately 20h of training, including psychoeducation, narrative examples, mindfulness practice, and assignments completed both between and within sessions. The main objectives of GMT are to train individuals to periodically “STOP” what they are doing, attend to task goals, evaluate their performance, and monitor or check their performance as they proceed. GMT’s effectiveness has been demonstrated in a number of samples, including older adults, acquired brain injury patients, schizophrenia, substance dependence, ADHD, spina bifida and post-critical care patients. During this workshop, participants will learn: the theory underlying GMT and the evidence base that supports the use of GMT in treating executive dysfunction, the core elements of GMT (or GMT concepts), and step-by-step instruction and background for GMT sessions.

Recent research confirms that language disorders are persistent, and that changing language competence takes time and effort. What should the goals of intervention be, and how can we measure the impact of intervention if the goal is not ‘cure’? In this workshop, I will present evidence-based ideas on when to intervene, how to intervene, and how to measure the impact of interventions on language, and other aspects of development including education, attention and behaviour, quality of life, and social, emotional and mental health. We will work through case history examples and look at different outcome measures and planning tools. Finally, we will review methods for evaluating quality of published intervention findings to support evidence-based decisions.

The workshop will review the current state of the art regarding mechanisms of chronic pain, both human and animal studies will be reviewed, with the intention of expounding causal mechanisms, opportunities for novel treatments, and concepts regarding the brain circuitry engaged. Brain critical circuits for predicting risk of chronic pain, and its adaptations during the transition to chronic pain will be reviewed, emphasizing the potential of reversing these with adequate therapies.